


DP-00

by RosYourBoat



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 01:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4646634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosYourBoat/pseuds/RosYourBoat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny and his friends have had a busy few years, what with protecting a whole town--and the world, really--from ghosts. You'd think that he would be able to catch a break on his seventeenth birthday, at least, but really, he should know better by now. His house is attacked and he and his friends are kidnapped for some unknown purpose. Are they friend, or foe?</p><p>This story is unfinished, and will remain so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	DP-00

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my recent excavation and expunction of all of my old fics from my hard drive to an online form, where they can be held as an indelible and inescapable memento of my past obsessions. These fics are all unbeta'd and heretofore unseen by anyone but me. I hope someone else feels some of the enjoyment I received from writing them.
> 
> "DP-00" was written in June of 2007.

    A small group of people huddled together conspiratorially in the center of a small, cozy living room, their eyes glinting with malicious intent as they spoke to each other in low whispers.  
  
    "Do you think he suspects anything?" A woman asked, her blue hazmat suit and goggles looking very out of place in the domestic scene. The large, orange-clad man next to her rubbed his hands together gleefully, opening his mouth to say something, but the woman quickly slapped a hand to his large mouth. The man pouted, even though he was easily twice her size.  
  
    "Nothing. My informants have said that he has been somewhat... distracted of late." The young woman who spoke was probably the most normal-looking, with long red hair and striking light blue eyes, but she was clearly younger than the other inhabitants of the household. She wore light blue Capri's and a black shirt. The woman in the blue hazmat suit frowned, her red goggles flashing.  
  
    "Yes, I had been meaning to ask him about that..."  
  
    "No need to worry about it, Mrs. Fe- er, I mean, Specter Hunter!" A bespectacled black boy piped up, pushing his black-framed glasses up on his nose before reaching up to fiddle with his red beret nervously. His brown eyes darted toward the young woman standing next to him, pleading for assistance.  
  
    "Tuck- I mean, Fryer-Tuck is right," she said, rolling her eyes briefly at the name. She looked to be about the same age as the boy next to her and the outfit she wore was completely black; from her tank top to her mini skirt, all the way down to her steel-toed boots. The look in her brilliantly violet eyes screamed "Goth! Back off!"  
  
    "He's been in one of those funks again; a girl smiled at him on the street and he's been like that ever since," the girl continued, shooting her four-eyed friend a glare when he silently praised her lying skills with a thumbs-up.  
  
    "Well, what we need is a... distraction," the large man said, managing to keep his voice down. The two youngest members of the group glanced at each other quickly, an unspoken message shuttling between them before they turned back to the group with wicked grins.  
  
    "Leave that to us..."

* * *

    "I am the Box Ghost! Tremble before me and my mighty powers of square corrugated packaging! I am the most powerful ghost in - Oomph!" The short, pudgy ghost in overalls was abruptly silenced with a powerful punch to the gut that sent him careening into a nearby wall. Without missing a beat, a slender, toned ghost in a black hazmat suit followed to suck the obnoxious ghost into a thermos.  
  
    "Right, and I'm the Pharaoh of Egypt," the ghost snorted when the bright blue light and the Box Ghost's scream faded. Danny Phantom straightened from his defensive position with a sigh, running a hand through his wild white hair as his luminescent green eyes scanned the area for more opponents. Ghost activity had been unusually high this past week and his days had been filled with patrols and ghost attacks all over the city. By now, he was distracted, exhausted, and almost continually in pain since his body had not been given enough time to heal even with the accelerated healing abilities of his ghost side. At least it was only the Box Ghost.  
  
    Danny flew quickly to a nearby alley and transformed into his altar ego: Danny Fenton. The bright blue rings at his waist parted to reveal stone-washed jeans, black sneakers, and a red shirt with a white undershirt (his old clothes had been so torn and worn out from ghost attacks that Jazz had finally taken him shopping for newer clothes), while his eyes and hair were revealed to be inversions of his ghost side. His eyes were an electric, piercing blue while his hair was pitch black, though it retained its natural untamed look.  
  
    "Ugh, that guy just doesn't give up!" Danny complained to his two best friends as they left the alley. "Didn't you guys capture him yesterday? That's a record, even for him." Sam and Tucker nodded sympathetically, dropping back a step to share a look. Tucker gestured frantically to his watch, shaking his head to indicate that not enough time had passed. Sam nodded, rolling her eyes at the fact that Tucker could have ever thought that the Box Ghost would occupy much of Danny's time. The Box Ghost had never been a problem for Danny, even in the beginning, and by now he had gotten so good that he didn't even need to use his ghost powers to kick the annoying ghost's butt in seconds flat.  
  
    "Er, well..." Tucker said, feigning nervousness. "Funny thing about that..." Sam quickly jumped in with a glare.  
  
    "We never actually got to release him back into the Ghost Zone because Mr. Suave over there dropped the Thermos when he got slapped by a girl he was trying to flirt with on the way to your house." She informed Danny, who let out a bark of laughter despite himself. Tucker cringed.  
  
    "Hey, look, there's Nasty Burger! I could really go for a Mega Meat-Lover burger right about now..." He said loudly and Sam scowled at him.  
  
    "I don't know, guys... I'm really tired." Danny said apologetically. "I just want to go home before anything else happens."  
  
    "Aww, Danny, can't we just get a slurry then?" Tucker whined. "It'll take, like, two seconds. Seriously!"  
  
    "Two seconds to buy it, or two seconds to drink it?" Sam muttered dryly and Danny gave in with another laugh, gesturing for Tucker to go ahead. Luckily, the subsequent walk home was uneventful as the three slurped their slurries and bemoaned the fact that summer was already almost half over.  
  
    "I'll bet you three monthly payments on my PDA that Lancer will be our English teacher again," Tucker groaned. "The man refuses to let us go through high school without him hanging over our heads every year!"  
  
    "Oh, I don't know guys, I think that Lancer might not be such a bad guy," Danny protested. His friends froze in horror, staring at him as if he had grown a second head. "I mean, he's a really... good teacher, and he, um... dresses... nice-" he broke off into hysterical laughter, unable to contain himself. Once the laughing fit passed, he straightened and wiped his eyes. "Sorry, I couldn't keep a straight face..."  
  
    Sam was starting to smile slightly, but Tucker seemed to be frozen in a horrified stare. "Don't, don't do that again, Danny," he finally stammered. "I thought... I thought for a second-" he broke off, looking traumatized, and he raised a shaky hand to his forehead dramatically. "I thought I'd lost you!" By now they had reached the door to FentonWorks, still laughing as Danny opened the door.  
  
    "SURPRISE!"  
  
    Danny froze, not registering the loud noise as what it was, and his eyes glowed green as he dropped automatically into a defensive stance. His friends grabbed his arms from behind and shouted "Happy Birthday!" in his ear, unobtrusively pinching his arm to bring him back to awareness. Danny blinked, confused, and his eyes faded back to their normal blue as he slowly relaxed. He blushed all the way up to his hair line in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck shyly as he stuck his other hand behind his back and clenched it fiercely, extinguishing the glowing ectoplasm pooled around his hand. Not only were his family, Sam, and Tucker there, but Valerie also made an appearance and as they reached forward to pull him into an embrace, still laughing and congratulating him on his sixteenth birthday, Danny was inwardly mortified.  
  
    That was close. Too close. Not only had he almost revealed his ghost side to his family, but he had almost attacked them! Even though they weren't ghosts, a direct hit from ectoplasm could still seriously hurt them and he didn't think that he could live with that kind of guilt. Shaking his head, he decided that he needed a break. How on Earth had he managed to forget his own birthday, anyway? Too much ghost fighting was having a negative effect on his family as well as himself. Maybe he could actually let his parents do their job for once...  
  
    "Danny, m'boy, how does it feel to be seventeen?" Jack asked boisterously. Without waiting for a response, he continued, "Ah, I remember when I was seventeen. Stole my first kiss from Jenna Butterfield; poor girl didn't know what hit her. Uh, literally."  
  
    "That's... great, dad." Danny said awkwardly, infinitely grateful when Sam and Tucker pulled him away to blow out the candles on the cake. Having had too many experiences with ghosts like Desiree made him wary of anything involving wishes, so he merely blew out the candles, rolling his eyes when his mom squealed with delight. Cake and presents followed. His parents gave him a black utility belt that would hold all sorts of ghostly weapons (most likely his dad's idea) as well as a telescope (his mom's idea), and Danny thanked both of them whole-heartedly, glad that they had given him things that would benefit both aspects of his chaotic life. Valerie gave him a movie that had recently been released as well as several bags of popcorn and snacks, informing him that they were all going to have a party of their own one day.  
  
     Sam had given him a thick black journal with a silver buckle to close it and he smiled when he opened the cover (which read BOO!) and read the inscription in the front that told him it was for all ghost-related activities. The ghost files he had in his computer were strictly clinical and he knew that Sam was giving him means of a more... personal expression of his ghostly encounters. In typical Tucker fashion, the dark-skinned boy gave him a 6-month coupon for free Nasty Burgers - and the number of a waitress that worked there. "It took me weeks to get that from her," Tucker confided later, "and the only way she would give it to me was if I told her that it was for my best friend and she made me promise never to call her. I hope you realize just how big of a sacrifice that was, Danny."  
  
    The slender halfa had only smiled and laughed, appreciating the "trouble" Tucker had gone through but also knowing that he would never call the girl. His life was too busy and dangerous right now for any type of normal relationship that other boys his age were having. It would be too difficult to keep his two lives separate while simultaneously cultivating a lasting relationship with someone who knew nothing about ghosts or Danny Phantom. Some part of him was saddened and deeply disappointed by this, but the greater part of him knew that it was for the best. He needed to be depended upon as Danny Phantom to protect the town, and he couldn't do that when he was burdened by a clueless, clingy girl.  
  
    After the gifts came the games that lasted long into the night - at which point Danny's parents had retired to bed and Valerie had gone home, leaving the trio to watch _Ghostbusters_ , a movie that they had seen so many times that Danny and Tucker could recite it verbatim - sound effects included. It was the perfect end to a perfect night, Danny reflected as they trooped up to Danny's room and camped out on the floor after the movie, just as they had dozens of times before. They chatted for a few minutes before they dropped off to sleep, one by one. 

* * *

    He awoke to the cold. It was freezing; chills shivering up and down his spine and racing over his arms until his flesh pimpled and the short hairs stood on end. _Something wasn't right._ Danny opened his eyes slowly, aware that they had shifted to a brilliantly glowing green as his ghost senses activated. The darkness of the room presented no problem as he scanned the area for any immediate disturbances, noting that the blue fog of his ghost sense was fading quickly and his friends were still sleeping, peacefully unaware. Silently, he phased himself out of his blankets and shifted into his ghost form, using a bit more concentration to do it without recklessly shouting out his war cry.  
  
    Careful and cautious, but still quick, the ghost boy flew over to his closet and stuck his arm through the door, grabbing his ghost equipment with practiced ease. For all he knew, it could only be the Box Ghost again, but time and experience had finally taught him some semblance of caution and - truth be told - there was an odd feeling in the air. Slimy, dank, dark, and bitter, like rotting seaweed. With senses on full alert now, Danny slipped out of his bedroom and flew down into the lab to see if anything had escaped. The lab was dark and empty, the ghost portal closed and the status panel glowing red to indicate that it had not been unlocked. Setting his mouth into a grim line, Danny scanned the room one last time and bolted up into the main floor to search the rest of the house.  
  
    The kitchen, the bedrooms, the hallways and bathrooms - all were dark and quiet except for the normal sounds of the night. Danny ended up in the kitchen, sitting at the table in his human form and puzzling over the mystery. His ghost sense had not gone off again, but the dark feeling had not dissipated. If anything, it had grown even darker, with an inexplicable tint of malice to it. It made Danny's skin crawl and all the warning bells he had developed in two years of ghost hunting were ringing wildly. _Something wasn't right._  
  
    "Danny?" Danny jerked his head to the doorway of the kitchen, eyes narrowed and hand already half-raised defensively. He froze, however, when he saw that it was only his older sister, looking half-asleep and rumpled. He lowered his fist quickly, but she didn't seem to have noticed his unusual reaction. She shuffled over to the kitchen table and dropped into a chair across from him, yawning. "I heard you walking up the stairs earlier. Are you still awake? What's wrong?"  
  
    Not believing his good fortune at not being discovered, Danny smiled nervously. "Uh, nothing. I just couldn't sleep. Probably ate too much cake." Jazz didn't look entirely convinced (Danny had never been the best of liars), but before she could open her mouth to call him on it, they heard steps on the stairs.  
  
    "Danny, where have you- Oh! Hi, Jazz." Sam said, looking bemused as she tugged a half-asleep Tucker along behind her. The techno-geek groaned when he saw them at the table.  
  
    "Look, he's _fine_! Why did you have to drag _me_ out of my warm, soft bed? I was having the most wonderful dreams..." he whined, but his goth companion ignored him.  
  
    "I woke up when I heard someone walking on the stairs a while ago and saw that you were gone. When you didn't come back after ten minutes I dragged this useless lump to come find you." Same said to Danny, once more ignoring Tucker's indignant yelp of protest. Something she said struck a discord in Danny, who frowned suddenly and furrowed his brows. What was it? _Something was NOT right._  
  
    "Wait.." He said slowly, holding up a hand as he concentrated, searching his brain for the fact that didn't fit. Something that both Jazz and Sam had said... Suddenly his eyes widened in realization. _"I heard you walking up the stairs earlier..."_ But he had never _walked_ up the stairs. He had flown. And suddenly several things were happening at once. A high pitched whine filled the air and a sudden chill made Danny gasp, a thick cloud of blue mist drifting past his lips. Simultaneously, the ringing in his mind became a piercing wail and on the edges of his hearing he heard something... a warning? It didn't matter, there was no time to think about it.  
  
    "Everybody, get down, now!" He barked, lunging across the table to grab Jazz's wrist and pull her hard to the floor. She dropped next to him with a startled yelp as Sam, used to following Danny's orders in times of stress, fell next to them with a fully-awake Tucker next to her. The high-pitched whine abruptly ended with a jarring crash that shook the entire household and Danny heard the screech of metal and the straining of wires as the gigantic FentonWorks sign attached to the roof of their house was dislodged. Jazz screamed. Another piercing wail of warning caught Danny's attention and he winced a bit at the force of it ( _What is that? A new power?_ he wondered vaguely). Glancing upward, he saw that thick cracks were appearing in the ceiling of the kitchen and he knew instinctively that the Fenton family table would not save them.  
  
    "Grab on!" He shouted through the sound of another high-pitched whine, and Sam and Tucker immediately grabbed a hold of his arm, knowing what he was going to do. Jazz was either too scared or too confused to understand, so he grasped her wrist firmly before concentrating. To hell with his secrecy - they were in real danger here! Just in time - they felt another blow wrack the building, much stronger than the last, and Danny got the impression that something exploded. Faintly, he heard Jazz scream in terror as they suddenly fell through the floor and found themselves free-falling to the tiled floor of the lab. Exerting even more of his energy, Danny felt beads of sweat gather at his brow as he squeezed his eyes shut and allowed his power to flow to the bodies around him. This was much more difficult to do in human form - especially with the stress and exhaustion he had been working under lately - but there had been no time to transform and he knew that it wasn't impossible. He had managed to phase the Fenton RV and its occupants at one time, after all.  
  
    Instantly, he felt the familiar feeling of weightlessness come over him and their fall slowed to a controlled descent until they rested on the cold tile floor. Danny immediately drew his power back into himself and staggered a little bit, unused to stretching his power to such a limit and feeling it rush back into him like a tidal wave. "Danny!" Same cried worriedly, rushing to his side and checking him over carefully. Danny shook his head, clearing it of any lingering fuzziness as well as denying any help, and without further ado changed into his ghost form.  
  
    Jazz watched with fearful awe, and a bit of pride, as her brother changed from the geeky little kid she used to know into the crime-fighting hero he undoubtedly was. His blue striped pajamas morphed into a tight-fitting black hazmat suit as the blinding white rings traveled up his torso, changing the baby blue eyes that had become so wise and experienced over the past few years into piercing, feral green ones that were so different and yet held the same mischievousness that Danny had never lost. The pitch black of his messy hair inverted to snow white, feathering to graceful points that looked somehow more dangerous and yet delicate that the same time. And again, for the hundredth time since she had accidentally discovered his alter ego, Jazz Fenton marveled at the mass of contradictions her little brother had become.  
  
    Sparing only a single, unreadable glance toward his stunned sister, Danny crouched and blasted upward through the ceiling and into the chaotic destruction above. He knew that the lab was protected both paranormally and physically with steel reinforced walls, ghostly gadgets, and alarm systems, so he wasn't too worried about leaving them unattended for a little bit, no matter how much his friends protested their exclusion. He knew this was just too dangerous a situation for any normal humans, as much as it pained him to admit it to himself. He hated acknowledging that he was something less than human.  
  
    He forced these thoughts from his mind, however, when he saw the carnage unfolding in the home above ground. His mouth dropped open in shock and complete horror. Everything was collapsing, destroyed by a great force, and he could see that there was already a fire in the kitchen, where the ceiling had collapsed. He knew there would be little chance of repairing the house after an attack like this, and for the briefest of moments he felt a pang of sorrow for the joyful times they had had in that kitchen, even though his mother had happily created some of the most fearful substances known to man or ghost...  
  
    Suddenly, Danny felt as though his heart (had he had one in this form) stopped beating and every molecule of his being froze, a devastating realization sweeping through his mind like the brush of cold fingers. _His parents._ His parents had been upstairs sleeping; he had heard his father's distinctive rumble as he searched the house for an unknown predator. "Oh no..." He whispered, horrified. _How could I have forgotten?_ Praying that it was not too late, he raced through the destruction, phasing through broken furniture and sparking wires to reach the upstairs as fast as inhumanly possible. Just as he was clearing the top of the stairs, he ran into what felt like a brick wall.  
  
    "Ungh!" He grunted painfully, all breath expelled from his lungs in a great whoosh as he felt a few ribs crack ominously. For a split second, he remained motionless at the point of impact, before time sped up and he was thrown away from his attacker at breakneck speeds, crashing to a halt at the base of the broken staircase. He remained motionless, his world narrowing to a spinning, fuzzy haze of confusion as his body struggled to remain conscious. Suddenly, a faint warning wail broke through the haze and awareness abruptly returned, bringing with it the excruciating pain that had been unleashed on his battered body. He let out a short scream of pain before he bit down on his lip so hard that he broke skin. Forcing the pain into a small corner of his brain, Danny ignored the burning in his chest and focused on the fact that his parents were somewhere up there, probably in pain.  
  
    The injured halfa looked up as he stood, his pain-filled green eyes searching for the ghost that had impeded his path. He found it crouched at the top of the stairs, a dark mass of malevolence the likes of which he had never seen before. The closest thing he could think that came close was Johnny 13's Shadow, but this ghost had a form, a physical shape that certainly felt completely solid even though Danny could see how its edges seemed to be constantly changing, curling and flickering like flames of a fire. Danny narrowed his eyes. The ghost had been waiting for him. The halfa seethed; he didn't have time to deal with the ghost right now or wonder about its motives - his parents were somewhere above him, and no ghost would stop him from trying to help them.  
  
    Without a second thought, Danny clenched his teeth against the pain and launched upwards, through the ceiling and into what had been Jazz's room. It was now a mass of rubble; two walls completely missing as if some gigantic monster had taken a bite out of it. He felt sick at the thought that if Jazz hadn't been downstairs, she would have undoubtedly been... _No! I can't think about that now! I've got to find mom and dad!_ Danny turned to zoom through what had been the doorway when warning bells began ringing in his ears again and he caught a glimpse of black movement in the corner of his eye. He ducked, but he was too slow to miss the glancing blow of the ghost's fist. With another strangled yelp of pain, Danny spun in midair before his shoulder crashed into a broken support beam, which then snapped from its precarious position. The walls began to groan in protest and the young halfa struggled to clear his thoughts, knowing that the sound was not a good sign.  
  
    Even worse, he heard another high-pitched whine, indicating another blow would be raining down on the Fenton household once more. _Who are these guys?_ Danny thought desperately as he threw several ectoblasts at the emotionless ghost behind him before flying away. _I've never done anything to them! And these attacks; there has to be someone else other than these goons. It's way too powerful!_ There was no more time for more thoughts; a great boom shook the house once more and Danny heard the sound of an explosion from the direction of his parent's bedrooms. Frozen in horror, Danny was far to slow to miss another attack from the shadowy ghost behind him and he felt his world dissolve into a million bright stars before everything faded to black. The last thing he heard were the shrieking of metal as the building collapsed and the faint screams coming from below.  
  


* * *

  
    Danny woke to darkness. He lay completely still, keeping his breaths even and slow as he tried to gauge his surroundings. He was lying on something cold and metal, and thick straps pinned his torso, wrists, thighs, and ankles to the table. He could sense cloth covering his eyes and he knew by the feel of his jumpsuit clinging to his skin that he had somehow retained his ghost form throughout his unconsciousness. It had happened a few times before, but he had never figured out exactly how to do it on purpose. Reigning in his wandering thoughts, he tried to concentrate on what to do. Where was he? Why was he being restrained? Was he with the enemy? What had happened?  
  
    Reflecting back, he frowned slightly when all he could remember was the impression of shrieking metal, a raging fire, and a shadowy, malicious ghost. Suddenly, he froze. Sam. Tucker. Jazz. _His parents!_ What had happened to them? Had they escaped? Why had his home been attacked? His breathing quickened despite the fact that he didn't need air and he began to struggle, grunting slightly when his efforts yielded nothing. He tried phasing through the restraints and bit back a yelp when he was shocked, reminding the rest of his body that he had not been healed since the attack. He was just about to try blasting his way through when he heard a soft whooshing sound like an automatic door opening and the steady clicks of several sets of shoes crossing the metal floor. He froze.  
  
    "Ah, he's awake." Came a cool, expressionless voice. "Send for the others, won't you, Jegan?"  
  
    "Sure, boss." Was the casual response and Danny heard the door open and close once more. He remained still and tense, chin raised and head tilted to listen better. The first man didn't speak, but moved around the room - adjusting instruments of torture, Danny assumed. He still did not speak, but felt an increasing anxiety about his friends and family. Where were they? Where was he?  
  
    Just as he was about to speak, the door opened once more and - by Danny's rough calculation - perhaps seven or eight people entered.  
  
    "It is Monday, the first of August, 2:57 P.M." the first man spoke in the same emotionless tone, sounding as if he was speaking into a recorder. "After following a lead on our quarry, we came across a Minion attacking the home of two professional ghost hunters. The building was already destroyed beyond repair, but we managed to drive away the Minion and rescue three teenagers we discovered in the protected basement which had been converted to a lab. We are en route to delivering them safely to a local hospital. We also discovered a ghost with the appearance of a fifteen year old teenage boy that had been incapacitated during the attack. At this time it has woken and we will attempt to ascertain what its purpose is."  
  
    Danny was racing through the facts of the man's monologue, feeling intense relief that Jazz, Tucker, and Sam were okay, but also feeling worry that his parents hadn't been mentioned. He felt a brief flare of anger at being addressed as an "it" and he wondered at what these people were doing or what they were planning on doing with him. He heard the click of heels as the first man - Wally, Danny deemed him randomly because he sounded as lively as a wall - approached and he tensed when he heard the tap of something small being set down on the table next to him. He assumed it was the recorder.  
  
    "Now. Let us begin. What is your name, ghost?"  
  
    Danny gritted his teeth, considering remaining stubbornly silent. He discarded that idea immediately as there was no advantage to it. He needed more information about his friends and family and about these people. So, he would talk, but he wouldn't let them have the upper hand.  
  
    "I hardly think that matters since you obviously don't care," he said coldly, the ghostly echo of his voice clear but firm. "Why am I tied down? Who are you people? What do you-" He broke off with a choked yelp as electricity traveled through the bands again for a split second. Another voice spoke up, that of a woman.  
  
    "Relax, ghost. We aren't normally violent, so if you don't give us a reason to, we won't shock you again. Forgive us for taking liberties with regards to your freedom; ghosts have not been known to be particularly peaceful or trustful in the past." Danny remained silent for a moment, judging the sincerity in the words. Her voice was warm but had an undercurrent of steely caution.  
  
    "I'm not your average ghost," he said finally. "I don't want to hurt anyone and I don't deserve to be treated like a criminal or... or an _animal_."  
  
    "Be that as it may," came a new voice, silky and sneering with suspicion. "We can't take any chances."  
  
    "Understandable," Danny conceded with a mutter. He was wasting time here. He wanted to talk to his friends and sister and make sure they were alright. He sighed gustily. "Look, my name is Danny Phantom. I've been protecting Amity Park against ghosts for nearly three years. I've never hurt any humans intentionally and, in fact, most ghosts in the Ghost Zone hate my guts, so you don't have to worry about me going berserk and killing you. Unless you try to hurt me or my town in any way, that is..."  
  
    Danny reared his head abruptly to the side and tensed when he heard someone from his left move closer. This blindness was really starting to get on his nerves, stretching them tightly with nervousness. The person seemed to be examining him but made no move to touch him. "We've never seen a ghost like you before. You claim to not want to hurt humans or even feed off of their fear like normal ghosts. You want to protect them." He snorted. "Forgive me if that is sort of hard to believe."  
  
    "Look, I'm not sure that I can prove it to you. Amity Park has declared me as Public Enemy #1 because they fear ghosts so much and I've never been able to convince them otherwise. The thing is, I've never felt the need to hurt or scare humans. I don't know _why_ I'm different from other ghosts, I just _am_. If you ask the two younger teenagers, Sam and Tucker, they'll tell you that I'm not evil."  
  
    "How do you know their names?" Wally asked sharply.  
  
    "They're from Amity Park. I met them a long time ago and they've helped me out with capturing other ghosts. Are they alright? Can I speak to them?"  
  
    "They are unharmed. We cannot allow you to speak to them until you are deemed safe. Which will be quite a while, trust me."  
  
    Danny gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to incinerate the blasted blindfold so that he could glare properly at the man. "Can we just move this along, please? I can't leave Amity Park unprotected for long and those ghosts might come back again. What did you need to ask me about?"  
  
    "Have you ever heard of Slyphoras?" This was the sneering man again, his sibilant voice colder than steel. Danny searched his mind for all of his ghost encounters and came up blank.  
  
    "Nope, never. Should I have?"  
  
    "Perhaps, perhaps not." Came the infuriatingly vague answer. Danny decided to name this guy Slinky since he reminded him so much of a snake.  
  
    "Have you ever heard of the Crucible?" Wally again.  
  
    "No, not in my life."  
  
    "Afterlife, 's more like it." Danny's lips twitched when he caught the whisper from somewhere behind him. The questions continued for a short while as they asked about people and places he had never heard of. The atmosphere became less and less tense, but suspicion still hung in the air.  
  
    "Have you heard of the Guys in White?" An unrecognizable voice said suddenly from somewhere in front of him and to the right. Danny tensed so quickly that his right thigh muscle began cramping.  
  
    "Why? Are you with them?" He blurted, his breathing quickening. There was a pause while someone snorted.  
  
    "No. But you seem to be quite familiar with them."  
  
    "I had a couple of... run-ins with them. It wasn't pleasant." Danny said shortly. The subject was dropped, but another jarring question came randomly from the same area as before.  
  
    "Have you heard of Vlad Plasmius?"  
  
    Danny froze. "That fruitloop?" He burst out, seething. "I despise the very thought of him. Why the heck do you want to know about _him_? If you're working for him, I swear to all that is holy-" He was cut off by another jolt of electricity that made his body arch against the restraints with the strain of remaining silent. His fists clenched, extinguishing the glow of ectoplasm that had unknowingly gathered there.  
  
    "We aren't working for him." It was the woman again, sounding considerably softer than she had before as Danny gritted his teeth against the pain, his body tense as he waited for the next shock. "We've never even seen him or spoke to him. We've simply heard of him, is all." Danny relaxed slowly, soothed by her voice despite himself. '"I think that's enough for now, don't you think, Commander? I think we've established that he's not a mindless bloodthirsty ghost that will attack us at any moment. He can't be more than fifteen, after all."  
  
    "Hey! I'll have you know that I turned seventeen yesterday!" He said indignantly. There were a few sniggers throughout the room.  
  
    "Ghosts celebrate their birthdays?" Came a curious voice that Danny placed as the one Wally had called Jegan.  
  
    "Well, no, not normally." Danny admitted, feeling a light blush stain his cheeks in embarrassment. "I'm just different, I guess. Some of them celebrate their deathdays, though." He shuddered, not wanting to think about celebrating the day that made him into something less than human.  
  
    "Fine. Release it if you wish, but keep the shackles on its wrists. Interrogation over." There was another click as the recorder was turned off. The door opened and Danny let out a breath when he heard several pairs of feet leave the room. The door closed again and he relaxed against the restraints, contemplating what he had learned. It wasn't much at all, but at least he knew that Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were alright. He jerked in surprise when he felt hands on his arms. He struggled for a moment before they spoke.  
  
    "Relax, we're just going to put on these shackles so that you can't use your ghost powers. Purely for our security, you know." It was Jegan. Tense and upset at his continued criminal treatment, Danny remained silent. Two heavy metal bracelets were secured around his thin wrists before the restraints on his body were released. Rubbing his cramped thigh, Danny sat up and removed the blindfold from his eyes. He squinted down at the floor until his eyes got used to the light again and then he looked up at his captors. The woman in front of him gasped at his large, emerald green eyes framed by thick white lashes, no doubt startled by their beautiful luminescence. Danny ignored her gasp, tracking his eyes quickly over the room and the people. The room was not very large and was made entirely of steel. There were a couple of chairs, an observation window in front of the metal table he was sitting on, a mobile table full of dangerous-looking instruments, and a door in the corner of the room with a handprint analysis panel next to it.  
  
    The woman had long black hair and dark eyes, with a slightly large nose and pale skin. The belt around her waist fairly bristled with ghost fighting gear while simultaneously accentuating the curves of her body encased in a black jumpsuit. She was quite pretty and kind, but her eyes showed pain and sharp caution. The man next to her was tall and youthful looking, with shockingly red, curly hair and dancing blue eyes. He too wore a black jumpsuit and looked fit and energetic. Danny was inexplicably reminded of Cujo the ghost dog. There was another man sitting on a chair in the corner, his legs crossed and his fingers laced under his chin. His black eyes glittered with calculation and cunning as they met Danny's eyes squarely. The halfa could tell that he was tall and imposing with his long, thin black hair tied back in a tail, reminding him of Vlad.  Yet another tall man stood behind Jegan, the dark skin of his shaved head glinting in the light. His eyes were a light brown, almost amber, and he stood with his arms crossed over his powerful chest, watching Danny closely with an unreadable expression. All in all, Danny felt like these were people who would always be on their guard around him and wouldn't hesitate to become dangerous should he try anything of the sort.  
  
    "Phantom, my name is Julie," the woman said, extending a small hand. Danny shook it with a nod and a faint smile. "I'm the medic and navigator on this plane." That gave Danny a start.  
  
    " _Plane?_ " He blurted before he could stop himself. The red-haired man chuckled.  
  
    "Yeah, we're on a government-issued fighter jet. It's actually larger than it looks on the outside and there are several rooms in it. My name's Jegan, by the way. I'm just a junior fighter, but I know some wicked tricks with my specialized weapons."  
  
    "Nice to meet you," the ghost-boy said faintly, still stunned by the fact that they were flying in the air and he hadn't even noticed. He looked at the other men expectantly.  
  
    "Jordan." The black man said, his voice deep but smooth. "Weapons expert."  
  
    The man in the corner stood abruptly, sneering down at Danny. "Cain. I don't trust you, ghost, and trust me when I say that I'll be watching you." He swept out of the room, Harry staring after him in bewilderment and dislike.  
  
    "Ignore him, he's always like that." Jegan waved his hand dismissively.  
  
    "So... Who are you guys? What are you planning on doing with me?"  
  
    Julie sighed, running a hand through her long hair. "Long story short, we're a branch of the government that have broken off and become a sort of strike team that has assembled to track down a creature that has been attacking cities all over the northeast. It's not a ghost, but it's something similar... and nothing close to resembling human. We've disovered that it's name is Slyphoras and he will stop at nothing to rule both the Ghost Zone and the human world. We're sort of on our own with this, and the Guys in White don't know that our fields have sort of overlapped yet. We'd prefer keeping it that way."  
  
    "Why are you in the west when you say that the creature's in the east?" Danny asked, barely surprised. He had seen so many strange things in his life that he was beginning to think that he had become immune to surprises. She shrugged.  
  
    "We got a lead that took us here, to the most haunted town in America. We couldn't pass it up, and it was right. That ghost that attacked those ghost hunters was working for Slyphoras. We call them Minions."  
  
    "I see." Danny did see, vaguely, but he didn't understand what that had to do with him. So he asked.  
  
    "You may be able to help us," was the vague reply and the halfa felt a flash of anger.  
  
    "What right do you think you have to take me away from my home and town? I have my own responsibilities and the right to make my own choices. This whole business has nothing to do with me!" He said hotly, but before they could reply, the door slid open again.  
  
    "Danny!" Jazz cried upon seeing him sitting on the table, his wounds unattended to and green blood streaking his hazmat suit. She hurried to his side and engulfed him in a short but tight hug that expelled the non-existent breath from his lungs.  
  
    "Jazz?!" He gasped incredulously, spying Sam and Tucker over her shoulder rushing to his side. "Sam, Tucker, you guys are alright!"  
  
    "Yeah, we're fine, but we only woke up a little while ago. They said we could come in and see you. Are you alright?" Sam asked worriedly. Danny reached up to rub the back of his neck ruefully, wincing when he encountered a huge, bleeding bump.  
  
    "I'll be fine. You know how fast I heal." He looked over at his sister, who was still watching him, her eyes red with crying. "Jazz... are you- I mean, are you okay with... I'm sorry.. I couldn't-"  
  
    "Danny- _Phantom,_ " she amended quickly. "It's alright. I found out a long time ago. I was just waiting for you to tell me on your own time. Oh God, I'm just glad you're alright. You scare me half to death when you do stunts like that."  
  
    "You _knew_?" Danny gaped, barely noticing that the other adults were still in the room. "How could you- When did-"  
  
    "That doesn't matter," Jazz said impatiently. "D- Phantom, do you know where mo- my mom and dad are?" Danny paled, dread creeping into his stomach.  
  
    "You don't know? I don't think... I mean, I never saw them." He twisted around to Julie, his green eyes pleading. "Julie, did you guys find anyone else in that house after the attack? Upstairs, in any of the bedrooms? My- I mean, Jazz's parents were still in the house!" The black-haired woman creased her brow with a small frown.  
  
    "Phantom, there _wasn't_ an upstairs after the attack. It was completely razed to the ground. I'm sorry, but the only people we found were these three and you." There was a stunned silence as realization spread through the group like a deadly virus. Danny's thoughts were disjointed and numb. _They're... gone. Dead. My parents. I didn't even get to tell them..._ Jazz abruptly burst into tears and sank to the ground by Danny's feet. Sam instantly moved to comfort her, her own face pale and tight with shock, and Tucker placed a shaking hand on Danny's arm. Danny just stared at the ground. _I failed. I couldn't protect them in the end. Not even in our own home. They're dead. It's my fault. All my fault._

* * *

    Eventually, Julie, Jegan, and Jordan left to let them grieve. With them gone, Danny could finally shed some tears for the parents that he had loved and yet couldn't tell them the truth. They huddled together in a group, crying and letting the realizations sweep over them until the raw wounds were covered with a thin layer of scar tissue. At the end of two hours, they were by no means healed, but they had recovered long enough to be able to think of other things.  
  
    "They can't know anything about me," was one of the first things Danny said once they had gathered their wits about them. "I don't think they're bad guys, but they can't know anything about my being a halfa. Jazz, you know I can't act as anything more than a friendly ghost in front of them, you know?" He waited for her teary nod. She had always been smart and clever, and Danny could see that the raw sadness in her eyes was slowly being joined by iron-hard determination. Looking around at his friends, he could see the same in their eyes. It made him feel both proud and terribly frightened at the same time. _What if I fail them all again?_  
  
    He quickly shook his thoughts off, knowing there was no time for them now. "I don't know what will happen now. I heard that they're going to take you three to a hospital and they're going to make me stay with them to help them find this Slyphoras thing. The thing is, I think I might go with them. I want to find out what happened to mo- Maddie and Jack and why they were attacked. If I can, I'm going to try and stop this thing before it harms any more innocent people."  
  
    "We're coming with you." Was Sam's immediate response and the other two nodded without hesitation. She held up a hand to stall any protests he was about to make. "You can't do this alone, Danny; you have to admit that at least this once. You need people to watch your back and help you deal with everything. Tucker and I have been with you through thick and thin all these years; how could you think that we could just sit back calmly and abandon you now? We've _always_ known the danger and we've accepted that. Can't you see? Nothing is more important to us than you!"  
  
    "Besides, I've been secretly studying mom and dad's research for ages now," Jazz added. "I have more than a vague idea of what we're up against and I think that I can help. Did you think that you're the only one that wants revenge for what happened to them?" And it was this, more than anything, that cinched it. Danny didn't know how it happened, but somehow in the past hour, their group grew closer together than they ever had before. Danny knew that he couldn't deny them. He nodded firmly, still reluctant about putting them in danger, but secure in the knowledge that they could handle themselves.  
  
    They sat for a long while, contemplating their situation, before the door abruptly slid open and they all jumped. It was Julie, followed by what Danny assumed was the rest of the crew. It was sort of crowded in the small room, with his friends and sister crowded protectively around him and the adults clustered at the other end of the room. A broad-shouldered man with a severe military haircut stepped forward, his eyes sharp and emotionless. A patch on the breast of his black jumpsuit suggested that he was a man of high rank.  
  
    "Ghost, I am known as Commander," he said, and Danny immediately recognized his voice as Wally. "I'm the leader of the ATND: the American Threat Neutralization Division of the government. As you have no doubt heard by now, we have decided that your services as a ghost would be useful in our mission to remove the creature Slyphoras as a threat to the country of America. Do you accept?"  
  
    "I do, provided that a few of my own conditions are met," Danny said firmly but smoothly. Wally didn't react, but a muscle twitched in Cain's jaw and Danny hid a smile.  
  
    "And these conditions are?"  
  
    "I would like my friends to stay with me. We work best as a team and they know the situation well enough to help you in ways that I nor anyone else can."  
  
    "Out of the question," Wally said dismissively. "Not only do we have no room on this vessel, but we have our own experts and technicians that are more than valuable in their own right." The unspoken issue of trust hung heavily in the air between them. _We can't trust you not to gang up on us._  
  
    "Then you can't have me." Danny said, eyes blazing. "You would have to search the Ghost Zone for a thousand years before you would find another ghost that is willing to help you, and I _know_ how helpful I can be. I know the Ghost Zone and most of its occupants like the back of my hand, I can get in and out of any area undetected, I have powers you can only dream of, and I _never_ work without my friends." The air was heavily charged with energy as the two stared each other down in a battle of wills.  
  
    "Maybe we can come up with a compromise." Julie suggested, taking a step forward. "We really don't have enough room here for your friends, Phantom, but maybe we can arrange for a way that you can be in constant contact with them. That way, you'll be able to talk to one another and they can help you with... whatever you need." She finished delicately.  
  
    "I would not be averse to a situation such as this," Wally said nuetrally. "As long as your conversations are monitered." Danny opened his mouth furiously, but before he could reject the idea, he heard a familiar voice call out.  
  
    " _Time out!_ "  
  
    The slender halfa blinked in surprise, watching as a swirling portal erupted out of the wall beside the door and a ghost emerged, shiftting from an old man to a baby in the process. "Clockwork!" Danny exclaimed. The ghost inclined its head in acknowledgement.  
  
    "Danny, it's good to see you again. I do not have much time. I need you to listen to me carefully and heed my words. You need to take this man's offer. This situation with Slyphoras is more important than you know."  
     
    " _What?_ " Danny said incredulously. "But- What about Amity Park, and leaving my friends behind? How can we trust these people?"  
  
    "Don't worry about that, Danny. They are not bad people, just secretive; you are not exactly forthcoming yourself, remember. And don't worry about Amity Park or your friends, everything will be fine. Here, these medallions will allow you to create portals between them. You simply need to activate yours by pressing the symbol and saying the name of the person you want to speak to and their medallion will vibrate. They will press the symbol, and a portal will open, allowing you to speak face-to-face. And allow you to travel instantly to their side, of course, but not everyone needs to know that." The time ghost winked, tossing Danny four small round disks about the size of a quarter. They were made out of a strange, shimmery type of metal with the raised symbol of DP on the surface and there were holes for the coins to be threaded through a string.  
  
    "Now Danny," Clockwork continued, becoming serious once more. "Slyphoras is not like anything you have ever faced before; he's a demon, not a ghost, and while some of the same rules may apply, you must remember that he is extremely dangerous. You're going to have to learn to trust those around you and in turn, they will learn to trust you. There is neither time nor room for dissension. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"  
  
    Danny nodded once, hesitantly, but Clockwork frowned, his young face marred by the disapproving scowl. The young halfa nodded again, this time more firmly. He understood that he needed to trust the people in the plane while he was working with them so closely, but he didn't understand how he could do that when they were so averse to interacting with him. After all, they had put shackles on him and Wally still referred to him as an "it". He sighed. He supposed that he would just have to try, since Clockwork's vague warnings suggested that it was important. He had learned to trust every one of the time ghost's cryptic phrases by now.  
  
    "Good, be sure that you keep that in mind. Now, I must go. I may be in touch with you sometime soon, if the future becomes clearer to me. Be on your guard, Danny, and try to be a bit more observant than you have been in the past."  
     
    "Wha-" Was all Danny managed to get out before the powerful ghost clapped his hands, smiling mischievously.  
  
    " _Time in!_ "  
  
    Danny had barely enough time to return to his previous spot and try to remember what he had been about to say before time stopped. Suddenly, everything unfroze and Wally was staring at him stonily while Julie looked between the two of them anxiously. Danny plastered an expression of anger on his face.  
  
    "I _do not_ appreciate your assumptions," he hissed and his green eyes flared brighter. "You've been treating me like a criminal since you captured me. Strapping me down to a table, shocking me with electricity, shackling my ghost powers, and now trying to control my conversations with my _friends_! If you want me as an ally, you'll have to start treating me like one, because you are not entreating me to your cause right now, Wally!"  
  
    The Commander's stony expression flickered for a moment with surprise and confusion at the name before he brushed it off with a casual shrug. "That's the deal, ghost. You get to communicate with your friends if one of us gets to watch you while you do it. Of course, we could always acquire your help through force. Perhaps strapping you down to the table when you're not needed, or holding one of your friends as collateral. Your choice, ghost."  
  
    Danny reared back a step, shocked. "Y-you wouldn't..." he gasped. Behind him, Jazz gasped and Sam and Tucker let out angry exclamations. Similar expressions of surprise flitted over a few of the faces behind the emotionless Commander. _How the heck am I supposed to trust this guy?_  
  
    "C-Commander-" Julie said, trying to step in, but Danny held up a hand to stop her. He straightened, standing to his full height (a distinctly unimpressive 5'7") and staring the unmoving man in the eyes.  
  
    "Don't bother," Danny said shortly. "He's the type of man that won't be bothered by mere ethics and morals. The ends justify the means, eh, Wally? Fine. I'll agree to your terms if you allow my friends to leave safely. Luckily for you, I already have communication devices that will let us to talk to each other. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to say goodbye to my friends." The Commander gave him a hard look but nodded to Julie beside him and led the way out of the door. As soon as they had all left, his friends and sister crowded around him.  
  
    "Oh Danny! How could you let him separate us like that?" Jazz wailed, looking like she was on the verge of tears again. Sam was looking angry and Tucker looked lost.  
  
    "Danny, I _told_ you that you aren't going to do this alone!" The goth girl raged. "We're not going to leave you with those- those heartless jerks!"  
  
    "Guys, calm down!" Danny said urgently, motioning them closer. "Look, I had a visit from Clockwork a few minutes ago. He told me that everything would be fine and you guys need to go back to Amity Park. Here, he gave us these coins..." He quickly explained what they did and how to activate them before he handed them out. They all put the small coins in their pockets and reached out for final hugs, promising to speak to each other the next day. Danny hugged Jazz especially long, whispering a broken apology in her ear. Julie soon returned and escorted his friends out of the room, leaving Danny to sit slumped helplessly on the cold metal table, contemplating his clenched hands. 

    The young halfa's musings were interrupted not twenty minutes later by the door opening and Julie entering, followed by a grinning Jegan. Danny felt a strange sense of dread at what they might do to him, horribly detailed images of torture and humiliation running through his mind. _Maybe they'll force me to break into Lancer's house and steal his underwear to prove my loyalty,_ he thought, then shuddered in disgust.

    "Phantom, I've been told to clean your wounds," Julie said, holding up a bag that Danny assumed held first aid supplies. "But first, it would probably be best if your whole body is clean. Jegan here can take you to the showers, or he can help me sponge you off. Which do you prefer?" Danny immediately flushed red at the thought of the woman stripping him down and washing him with a sponge like an invalid. He hastily chose the showers. She smirked as if she knew what he was thinking and indicated that he should follow Jegan. He did so, marveling at the sleek metal interior of the plane they were in. Outside of his containment room, the steady hum of engines and working machinery was much more noticeable, but all he saw from the short trip to the showers were smooth metal pipes and walls, and a glimpse inside another room that held a bunch of sleeper beds.

    "Here we are!" Jegan said cheerfully, pressing the switch to open a door on their left that led to a small tiled room with three shower stalls. "I'm afraid that I'll have to stand outside your stall, but don't worry, I won't peek." He winked roguishly and Danny flushed to his hairline.

  
    "Good, I don't want perverts with a ghost fetish watching me shower," he shot back, stepping into a stall and snapping the door shut while the redhead laughed. He peeled off his blood-soaked suit and turned on the shower, shivering as he washed the slick material under the cool water.  
  
    "Be glad that Lieberman isn't the one in here to watch you, then. He's our paranormal expert; knows nearly everything there is to know about ghosts, but I'm sure he would love a... _close up_ look at you." Despite the teasing tone, Danny shuddered. When the water finally turned to a lukewarm temperature, he slung the wet suit over the edge of his stall and stepped under the spray, running his hands through his hair gingerly. He pumped the shampoo dispenser on the wall to wash it of the blood and smoke before grabbing some soap and running it over his pale body.  
  
    "Ugh, please tell me you're not serious," he replied as he did so.  
  
    "Okay, so maybe Lieberman _isn't_ attracted to young, nubile, male ghosts, but be prepared for him to pump you for information when you get settled in." Danny nearly dropped the soap, spluttering as water ran into his gaping mouth.  
  
    " _N-nubile?_ " He stuttered, barely remembering to rinse off before he grabbed the proffered towel, dried off, and tied it securely around his waist. Jegan was still laughing, so he made sure to open the door forcefully when he left the shower so that it smacked into the unsuspecting man.  
  
    "Ow, what'd you do that for?" Jegan whined, rubbing his head. Danny crossed his arms and smirked, his emerald eyes glittering with amusement. His smug smile soon faded, however, when Jegan straightened and slowly looked the halfa up and down appreciatively, his blue eyes lingering on Danny's flat, toned stomach, long legs, and full lips. Though Danny had barely noticed, three years of constant ghost hunting had toned his slender body into a lean, graceful form without an ounce of fat. He was almost wiry and his muscles weren't readily noticeable in his human form due to the clothes he wore, but no one at Casper High could have denied noticing the lithe, cat-like grace he had developed and the quiet power he held himself with. Even Dash had eased up on the halfa, resorting to calling him a fairy or a fag due to his youthful and faintly feminine features rather than beating him to a pulp at every chance.  
  
    "Trust me," Jegan was saying, still eying a drop of water that had slid from his white hair to trail around his slender neck and down his chest, "even _if_ Lieberman was looking, you _don't_ have anything to be ashamed of." He slid a step closer, his voice lowering to a purr. "It's almost easy to forget you're a ghost." Danny was frozen in place like a deer in the headlights, his face redder than Tucker's hat. _What the heck is going on with this guy? He's gay and coming on to a_ ghost _?! This is too weird!_  
  
    As if reading his mind, Jegan stepped back, waving a hand airily and chuckling. "Don't worry, don't worry. I prefer my men... well, _men._ Preferably hairy, muscled, and not given to turning invisible or shooting lasers out of their eyes. That would make the love making somewhat problematic, don't you agree?"  
  
    Danny finally seemed to snap out of his daze, shaking his head with a strangled sound in his throat. He turned and grabbed his still-wet hazmat suit from the stall. "You - are - insane." He said emphatically. "Not to mention completely shameless. Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself from now on, won't you?"  
  
    "Now now, where's the fun in that, sugar?" The redhead teased. Danny rolled his eyes. The thought didn't even cross his mind that there might be some truth to the redhead's words. The only thing he noticed were the scars that lined his body, some thick but most thin and white, criss-crossing his hairless chest, back and arms, even down to his thigh and calves. Most of the time, his increased healing abilities could take care of a shallow cut within hours, leaving no marks, but the deeper ones healed from the inside out, leaving a smaller scar on the surface as the only sign that he had been injured. As it was, his body had been busily healing him while he was unconscious and so he only had deep bruises marking most of his body and a lump on the back of his head.  
  
    "Right, well, I've had all the _fun_ I can handle. Let's just go back to Julie."  
  
    "I'm wounded! That you would go back to a woman after I-" Danny shut out the rest of Jegan's blathering as he hurried from the showers to the containment room. Julie was still standing by the metal table, tapping her nails impatiently, and she rolled her eyes when she saw a still-wet Phantom rush into the room and attempt to shut the door behind him to prevent Jegan from entering. The identification panel refused to work for him, though, so the redheaded man was allowed to bound into the room seconds later, arms widespread as he finished his speech with, "-then we could have hard, hot, wild gay sex for the rest of the night!"  
  
    Danny collapsed against a wall with an exasperated groan and slapped a hand to his burning face. "Just ignore him," Julie suggested dryly. "Everyone else does. Now sit down and let me have a look at you." The halfa opened his eyes and froze in surprise. Beside Julie, a short, thin, mousy looking man with thin light brown hair and brown eyes covered by glasses stood wringing his hands nervously. Or excitedly, Danny couldn't be sure. He cautiously approached the table, never taking his eyes off of the other man, who in turn never ceased running his eyes over every inch of Danny that he could see.  
  
    Seeing his wariness, Julie spoke gently as if to a wild animal. "This is Lieberman, Phantom. He's our paranormal expert that we called in when we realized we were dealing with ghosts as well as Slyphoras. He's not part of the Guys in White in any way; he's... well, sort of free-lance. Don't worry, he won't hurt you." Danny nodded slowly, only vaguely reassured when Lieberman briefly raised his eyes to nod in acknowledgement. At Julie's urging, he sat on the cold metal table, nervously fiddling with the edge of the towel to make sure it covered as much of him as possible. Despite Jegan's teasings, he was relieved that there was no lust in Lieberman's intense stare, nor was there the clinical heartlessness of a scientist. All he could see was the earnest, pure interest of an enthusiast. Much like his parents, Danny realized with a hard clench of his heart. It hurt to think of them, but he violently resisted the urge to burst into tears.  
  
    "Fascinating, absolutely fascinating," Leiberman was finally saying, eyes bright and childlike as he stared up into Danny's eyes. The young halfa smiled back nervously. "Yes, yes, I see what you mean now, Julie. He's not like any other ghost I've ever seen before. It is not so odd, then, to hear that he does not act as any other ghost I've heard of, too. What's your name, child?" He addressed Danny directly, just as Danny was beginning to feel like he was under a microscope. He bristled slightly at being called "child."  
  
    "My name is Danny Phantom, and I'm hardly a child," he replied firmly. "I turned seventeen just yesterday."  
  
    "In human dates or ghost dates?"

    Danny cocked his head, confused, before he realized what the man meant. "Oh, in human dates." Interest sparked the man's eyes and he leaned forward.

    "You continue to measure your years by your birthday? Fascinating! When _was_ your deathday?"

    "I'd prefer not to say, thanks," Danny said stiffly. Not only did he not want to think about it, but it would be too easy for them to look through Amity Park's records and find that there hadn't been a boy who died matching his description. Lieberman looked disheartened.

    "I suppose you won't be telling us the reason why you remain on the Earth, then?" Danny shook his head. Lieberman pouted. _Oh for the love of- Is he giving me_ puppy eyes _? How_ old _is this guy? Well, sorry, bub, that won't work on me._

    "Frankly, this is startling," Julie broke in suddenly. "All of your injuries are practically healed by now. That bump on your head will still be tender, but any other injuries should heal by tomorrow morning, if you continue at this rate. We hadn't expected that you would heal this quickly; there's really nothing I can do for you."

    "Well, I guess we can move along then. Now, what fascinates me the most is the fact that you have scars," Lieberman jabbered, perking up as he pointed his finger at a particularly thick one on his back that moved from his shoulder down toward his shoulder blade on his right side. He remembered that that one came from being grazed by one of Skulker's new upgraded "boomerang blades" that he had been too slow to dodge completely. Danny ran a hand up and down his arm self-consciously. "Normally I would assume that you had had these scars before you died just like other ghosts, but clearly this is not the case since we can see that your body is healing itself as we speak. See; this scrape on your knee is just now fading, which means that these scars were acquired _after_ you died, correct?"

    Danny nodded. "Yeah, I got all of these when I was still learning how to use my ghost powers. You'd think the bad guys would ease up on the newbie, but they seem to lack that kind of sympathy."

    "They are from other ghosts?" Lieberman asked, actually looking shocked. Danny gave him a wry glance.

    "Yeah, mostly. I protect the most haunted town in America from other ghosts; strange how they all seem to be upset about that."

    "Fascinating, absolutely fascinating! Your behavior is unlike any ghost I've met! You do not seem to thrive off of fear or hatred like many other ghosts, and yet your energy levels are clearly high, considering how quickly you healed yourself."

    "And look at this," Jegan said with an evil smile, placing a large warm hand on Danny's lower back and rubbing in slow, sensual circles. Goosebumps raced over Danny's skin at the intimate touch and a blush instantly infused his cheeks. He jerked away, spluttering indignantly. He hid behind Julie and glared over her shoulder, clutching his towel around him tightly. Lieberman was watching his reactions with awe and amazement.

    "A completely intact, human personality! Anger, surprise, desire, modesty, and even embarrassment!" He ignored Danny's horrified " _Desire?!_ ". "He possesses a clear range of emotion and expression that most ghosts are incapable of. He has, essentially, retained his humanity even as his body died! Did you see the blush? That would indicate that his ghostly blood is responding in a manner that seems natural to him even though his heart doesn't beat anymore to facilitate such actions. And the goosebumps! Did you see them? It means that-"

    "It doesn't _mean_ anything!" Danny interrupted loudly. "Ghost bodies are fairly cold, you know, what with having no blood or true substance. It makes the warmth of human bodies that much more hot to us. I was just surprised, that's all. I wasn't expecting Jegan to be such a creep."

    "Whatever you say, sugar." Jegan winked.

    "Can we end this now?" Danny groaned, exasperated, and turned pleading eyes onto Julie. She shrugged easily, though she did look somewhat sympathetic.

    "Yes, we can. It's nearly lights out, anyway." Lieberman made a disappointed noise in his throat that she ignored. "You'll sleep here at night. Containment fields against ghosts have been put up all around the room, so don't try to escape. It would make this mission a whole lot smoother and faster if you cooperated fully with us." Danny nodded, waving a hand.

    "Yes, yes, I know. I won't be attempting a daring escape any time soon, I promise." She seemed dubious at the validity of his promise, but nodded anyway with a faint smile and wished him a good night. The other two mean followed her and the door slid shut behind them.

* * *

    "Wakey wakey, sugar!"

    Bright light flared to life in the metallic room and Danny's eyes snapped open with a yelp. Completely disoriented, he rolled off of the metal table and landed on the ground in a defensive crouch, raising an open palm toward the intruder. Just as ectoplasm began pooling in his palm, a strong bolt of electricity shot through him and he cried out in pain.

    "Come now, I'm not that frightening, am I? Some people would say that I'm even loveable." Awareness returned with that annoyingly chipper voice and Danny groaned in realization. As it turned out, the shackles around Danny's wrists had prevented him from assuming his human form and so he had been forced to sleep on the hard metal examination table. Apparently it was Jegan's job to wake him in the mornings. _Wonderful._

    "Go 'way," Danny grunted as the pain drained away and he slowly got to his feet.

Jegan chuckled. “No can do. You’re wanted by the Commander and that means that I won’t be leaving until you do.” Danny groaned, but followed him willingly enough. The faster they fixed this situation, the sooner he would be able to return to Amity Park. As they traveled through the huge ship, Danny reflected how much it reminded him of the star ship Enterprise on Star Trek and he briefly entertained the thought of meeting the Commander in a huge room with a great view and a single chair in the center. When Jegan finally led him to the meeting room, however, Danny felt any amusement he might have felt abruptly deflate.

The room was not as big as he had expected and it was crammed wall-to-wall with complicated-looking machines with large monitors taking up the wall space. Huge pictures of Danny in his ghost form filled these monitors, juxtaposed over the numerous newspaper articles that had been made about him and his town. On the center monitor was a picture of him floating in midair, his arm held out in front of him with a large ball of ectoplasm enveloping his hand and his eyes glowing in the midst of battle. Underneath the picture was an article with his hated nick-name.

“Inviso-Bill, eh? Why, that wasn’t the name you told us, ghost.” Danny snapped his attention to the solid form of the Commander who was standing near the door, a faint smirk quirking his hard mouth.

“It wasn’t any choice of mine, I assure you,” he said drily. “The press came up with that little gem before I could tell them my real name. You’ll see that there’s a common theme of lies in all of the articles; they didn’t really bother to make an effort to get to know me.”

“And with good reason.” Wally snorted. “Attacking the mayor? Destroying city property? You don’t seem to be as innocent as you claim.”

“Okay, first off, that whole incident with the mayor was a misunderstanding. He was overshadowed by one of my enemies and I didn’t have anything to do with it. And secondly, I couldn’t really help it if stuff got destroyed, could I? It’s not like I could have politely asked Skulker to meet me out in the middle of a forest somewhere so that I don’t knock over a trash can. For the record, it’s been over half a year since I knocked down a building—“

“Stop your ridiculous blathering, ghost,” the Commander snapped. “I could care less how inept you are at ‘protecting’ that podunk town. What I care about is whether you’re good enough for this mission.”

Danny’s eyes flashed with indignation at the insult and he drew himself up. “Excuse me, _Commander_ , but I’m way more equipped for handling ghosts than your whole crew is. I’ve been doing this for years—” He cut off with a yelp of pain as electricity surged through his body. It lasted so long this time that he collapsed to the ground, curling into a fetal position and accidentally biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as he struggled to hold the whimpers in.

He was concentrating so hard on not screaming that he could barely hear the voices that rose in argument around him. All he was aware of was pain, and when it finally ended, he just lay stiffly, his harsh gasps filling the suddenly silent room. His limbs shook uncontrollably.

“Well well, it seems that I _am_ well-equipped for dealing with ghosts. This whole crew is especially trained in dealing with creatures like you, ghost, so if you’ve got any sense you will treat us with respect. You’re lucky that we have a soft-hearted medic.” The Commander’s deadpan voice held a note of smugness that never failed to piss Danny off.

He flinched violently when soft hands touched him, trying to get him to turn over onto his back. He resisted, forcing himself to turn onto his stomach and raise himself onto his hands and knees. His limbs quivered under the strain. He paused for the briefest of moments to catch his breath, his white hair obscuring his face from the gazes he could feel burning into him, before he carefully planted a foot beneath him and stood slowly.

His vision wavered disconcertingly and his leg muscles seemed to be spasming, but he ignored it with ease. His green eyes fixed on the Commander’s expressionless face, the glow nearly frightening in its intensity, and he deliberately wiped the greenish blood from his chin with the back of his fist slowly.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” He laughed shortly. “No wonder you need my help. I’ve faced worse than that on a good day. Don’t underestimate me, Commander; you don’t want me for an enemy."

“He’s right.” Julie’s voice came from his left, surprisingly strong and insistent. “We’re supposed to be allies with him, not torturing him! We need his help to defeat Slyphoras and fighting among ourselves isn’t going to get that done any faster.”

“Those _were_ the terms of our ‘agreement’,” Danny pointed out. “And I’m perfectly willing to follow them unless Wally over there breaks his part of the bargain. The second he starts getting trigger happy again, the whole deal’s off.” The whole room sat in tense silence as their leader and the halfa stared each other down hatefully. Finally, the Commander snorted and turned to stalk to his chair at the head of the table, which Danny took to be consent.

The tension in the room barely lifted as each member of the crew slowly gravitated to their chair around the table and Danny flinched when Julie touched his arm again.

“Gho—Phantom, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Danny snapped, more coldly than he had intended. He winced when he saw her face harden. He sighed. “I’m sorry, Julie, I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t worry about me; I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve had worse. I’ll be fine.” She subsided reluctantly and sat at her chair. There weren’t any chairs left and Danny, still feeling tense and mistrustful after the attack, opted to lean against the wall.

“This is the situation as it stands,” the Commander said authoritatively to the room at large, ignoring the halfa. “Slyphoras appeared over four months ago in the large cities of the northeast, terrifying the masses with its destructive force and seemingly random attacks. It has a horde of shadow creatures under its control, rarely instigating attacks itself, which suggests that it has a greater plan in mind. We do not know the nature of this creature or an indication of its intelligence.”

“How are ghosts or paranormal experts involved in this?” Danny asked, careful to keep his voice neutral. Wally barely glanced at him.

“The Minions, as we call them, are of a more ghostly nature than Slyphoras itself. Only the weapons and tactics developed by the Guys in White or Lieberman here have worked against them so far.”

“However, even I have my limits.” Lieberman spoke up unexpectedly, his voice faintly apologetic. “My actual interactions with ghosts have been limited and I haven’t dared to set foot within the Ghost Zone. There are things ghosts know that I could only dream of, which means that your help would be invaluable in understanding and ultimately defeating Slyphoras.”

“As if we could ever trust him to even stay around once the bracelets are removed.” A familiar silky voice sneered. Slinky.

“That’s enough. We’ve already gone over this, Cain.” Julie interrupted warningly, and the cold man subsided grudgingly.

“The bracelets stay on.” Wally snapped flatly, ignoring the halfa when he tensed and scowled. “The important question is what we will do next….” The discussion went on for nearly half an hour as they discussed where they would go next and what their next plan of action would be. Much of it went over Danny’s head since they didn’t make an effort to include him in the plans, but he was able to grasp the basics well enough.

Apparently, his role on this ship was to sit in his containment room like a good little ghost until he was trusted enough to be allowed into battle; at which point, he was to be brought out and used like a secret weapon. Of course, he had no intention of following their plans in any way, but for the moment, he remained silent. After all, it was clear that he was viewed as less than an animal on this ship right now. He could use that to his advantage; they had no idea what they were really dealing with.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Liked my writing? You might like my Tumblr. rosyourboat.tumblr.com


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